Page 78 of Between Never and Forever

“Or one of us will have to call Mom and Dad to say we fought to the fucking death. I don’t know if I can take you, but I’m starting to think Dec and Dom would be on my side. All three of us can definitely take you. Cade and Dante will hide your body after Mom and Dad cry over you.”

“You’re a dumbass, you know that?” I shook my head as I rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m not going to hurt her. And I’m sure as hell going to protect her.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, Dimitri, she sang to me today.” I slumped with the confession because we all knew what it meant.

“Just to you?” He lifted a brow.

“Yes, and it felt like she literally peeled back my skin and pulled my spirit from my body.”

“That’s dramatic.”

“Probably, but there’s no use lying to you. It’s about as dramatic as I feel about her.” I waved him toward the door. “Go home and leave me the hell alone. I’m going to take care of my girl. And let’s be clear, she is mine. You may be her best friend, but she’s my fiancée.”

“That’s a PR stunt.”

“Is it?” I held his gaze now, daring him to answer that question wrong.

“I’m beginning to think you’ve lost it, brother.”

“Maybe.” I sighed. “Maybe I have. Just know, if I can’t have her, I’m not going to let a stalker or someone unworthy have her instead, that’s for sure. No one getsmygirl but me. And I’m not even sure she’ll let me have her anyway.”

“Not sure you deserve her,” Dimitri mumbled.

“I’m not sure I do either.”

“Better figure it out before you commit, brother. I won’t forgive you if you don’t.”

He didn’t break eye contact. He didn’t smile. He didn’t even freaking blink. It’s how I knew he’d choose Keelani over me.

It’s how I knew I needed to figure out how I really felt before I went further.

ChapterTwenty-Five

KEELANI

I knockedon Dex’s office door days after that fateful rehearsal. It was early in the morning, but I still tried because I couldn’t stand that we were back to formalities. He’d walked by me in the hallway these past few days with just short hellos and head nods.

How could we be back to that after everything we shared?

And my opening show was tonight. The show he’d single-handedly gotten changed for me. Could I perform it after how he’d kissed me on that stage and then been practically radio silent after?

There was no talk of breakfast or meals, even if I texted him. Instead, Penelope would respond minutes later, like she was intercepting the messages, and proceed to tell me he was busy. I knew something between us had bonded and then broken after my song in rehearsal. But the show opener was important to me, and for some reason, I wanted him to say something.

Anything.

Yet, his silence on the other side of that door spoke volumes, and it set the tone of my mood that day. Especially when I saw the flowers throughout the kitchen. Lilies and roses and peonies, all from different people. Other celebrities. Other singers. From Dimitri. From Bane. From people at the record label.

From Ezekiel.I’ll see you soon.

I should have been excited, should have had adrenaline pumping through my veins and revving my insides up for the show. Nerves had me rattled instead, and that note had my stomach revolting. I crinkled up the little paper card and threw it in the trash.

Mitchell called to say the sponsorships were rolling in, that talk shows wanted us to be on them, that I was sold out, and that the PR stunt was working, that I’d better not fuck it up.

“Frankie said you and Dex had changes. I told him to do what Dex said, but you better not be doing something crazy. We’ve got people there tonight.” He said it pointedly, and I knew exactly the type of people he meant.

“Probably best for him to keep his distance with Dex around, Mitchell,” I reminded him.